Caleb Ekuban is a great weapon for Leeds United to have off the bench, Noel Whelan feels, and believes that he could just need a goal to give his confidence a boost.
The young striker missed a large chunk of the season with a foot injury and has struggled to make his mark since coming back.
He has however been trusted off the bench by new head coach Paul Heckingbottom in two of Leeds' last four Championship games, while he started in another, against Bristol City.
Whelan accepts that Ekuban is not yet ready to start consistently for Leeds, but he believes the former Chievo Verona striker can make his presence felt off the bench.
"He is a great weapon to have off the bench because he has got loads of pace", Whelan said on BBC Radio Leeds.
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"Later on in games, when people are a bit more fatigued, his pace and power could hurt them.
"Maybe he just needs that one goal to kickstart his season and that confidence, and then we would have another type of different player on our hands", he added.
Ekuban has made ten appearances in all competitions for Leeds so far this term, scoring once and providing one assist for his team-mates.
The striker, under contract until 2021, is due to turn 24 in March.
